Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-06-24
ACTION OF THE TRUSTEES.

trustees of Phillips academy of this &C
ton.
ACTION OF THE TRUSTEES.
The trustees of the Andover seminary,
with only one vote in the negative, that
statement expressing regret that the
charges against the professors were not in
the first instance presented before
them; questioning the right of the visitors
to exercise jurisdiction in instances in
which the question has not been passed up
on by the trustees quoting previous inter
pretations of the creed and declaring that
they 'can see no reason why the same
liberty of Interpretation should be denied
to the present accused professors which
was granted to their predecessors, more
than one of whom were in their day
charged with infidelity to the creed; re-
viewing the specific charges brought
against the professors and saying in con
clusion: "In our Judgment, the whole aim
of the professors has been to enlarge and
deepen the apprehension of Christian
truth in its applications to the problems
of faith and the work of the church in the
world, and they have done this along the
lines of the symbols OF the seminary, And
we think that they deserve for their in
dustry their zeal, their scholarship and
their piety, not the Acknowledgement and
suspicion of the friends of the seminary
and of sacred learning, but encourage
ment and sympathy. In conclusion, we
cannot refrain from expressing our deep
conviction that no greater mistake can be
made in endeavoring to promote the
growth of Christ's kingdom than that OF
insisting that such differences on points in
eschatology, as exist between the accusers
and the accused in this case. should be
made the occasion of accusations so grave
and a trial so momentous as that which
these distinguished and high-minded
professors have been called upon to face. "
The members Of the board of trustees
who approve and sign this statement are
Rev. DR.. Daniel Il. Fiske, Edward Taylor,
DR.. c. F. p. bancroft Thomas H. Russell,
Joseph S. Ropes, Rev. DR.. Alexander Nc
Kenzie, Rev. DR.. William H. Wilcox,
Robert r: Bishop. President Franklin
Carter, Alpheus H. Hardy, Rev. Dr.
James G. Vose and Horace Fairbanks,
TESTIMONY OF THE EXAMINERS.
The board of examiners of the seminary
of which President M. H. Buckham is
chairman, commend the work of the pro-
fessors, as intoxicating in their teachings
the essential and vital points of Christian
doctrine, and as calculated to give to the
churches a learned, sound and faithful
ministry.
WHAT THE PROFESSORS HAVE TO SAY.
Prof. Smyth did not care to say any
thing except to state that cit is not the
end" Prof. Harris said: ''The outcome
is not such as will close the seminary.
While Prof Smyth is deposed by the Wis
itors the case will be carried to the SUI
preme Court of the commonwealth. Mean
while, he will hold his Office and the rest of
the professors will stand with him, what
ever the issue. We willlopen next term as
usual, and Prof. Smyth will be with u.s.
But, as the Office is declared vacant and
if a successor TO the professor is elected,
what then ?"
"Such thing will not happen. The
board of visitors have the right to only
confirm the election of a professor and not
to elect him That is matter wholly in
the hands of the board of trustees, with
whom we are in perfect harmony. The
findings please us, showing the manifest
injustice in the matter and the animus
against Prof. Smyth. The subterfuge of
Mr.. Eustis not only indicates his object,
but also helps our case Charges against
all OF the professors were the same, the
evidence put in together and amounting
to the same thing and yet, in the face of
all this, only one is found guilty. The
only satisfactory answer that can be given
is that some personal matter was called in
in the case of Prot. Smyth.